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Origin and history

The Warnet Hotel is a private hotel located in Guise, in the department of Aisne, in the Hauts-de-France region. Built in the second half of the 17th century and redesigned in the 18th century, it illustrates the residential architecture of the provincial elites of that time. The building is distinguished by its body of regular houses opening on the Place d'Armes, supplemented by a wing of communes in return for square, whose arcades on the ground floor date from the transformation of a former brewery into outbuildings (supply, laundry). A stable, probably added at the beginning of the 19th century, and the vestiges of a palm game (mentioned in 1730 but now gone) were initially complete.

The hotel owes its name to the Warnet family, including André Evrard Warnet, king's adviser and president of the Guise election, who acquired it in 1730 with Thomas Allonge, a brewer merchant. Warnet and his son, André François Quentin Warnet, have contributed greatly to the interior fittings, including a carved wooden staircase dating from the construction, as well as to preserved wall decorations (rocaille lounges inspired by François Boucher). In 1774, the property expanded with the purchase of a adjoining house and a co-agent door, forming the current whole. After several family transfers, the hotel was acquired in 1876 by the notary Léon César Bernier, who installed his study and residence there.

Ranked a historic monument in 2002 and 2003, the Warnet Hotel testifies to the adaptation of Parisian fashions (rock decorations, woodwork) in a provincial residence. Its protected elements include all the buildings, the courtyard and its enclosure wall. The company lounge, with its copied doortops by François Boucher, and the rooms keeping their original décor, reflect the evolution of aristocratic tastes between the 17th and 19th centuries. Today, the property remains in private hands, preserving its historic disposition.

Located 113-123 Place d'Armes, the hotel is located in the Grand Faubourg, a district developed outside the medieval walls of Guise from the 17th century. This sector concentrated the homes of local notables (magistrates, merchants), symbolizing their economic and social power. The preservation of the hotel, including its detached cochère door and its annex house, offers a rare example of the provincial urban planning of Ancien Régime, marked by the influence of Parisian architectural models.

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